Life on the Farm
Peanuts develop in pods underground, in a process called pegging. When I first learned about pegging I wasn’t sure how it worked. So, of course, I had to grow some peanuts and find out. After that first trial I’ve been...
In an underused part of our barn, some years ago we constructed built-in wooden brooder boxes. They turned out to be ideal for brooding baby poultry without eternally scrounging for cardboard boxes. Not only that, but we have used them...
When a doe gives birth, her body produces milk for her kids, in a process called freshening. Most dairy goats produce more than their kids need. And they continue to produce for a while after the kids stop nursing. So...
Most goat kids are born without human help. You might, in fact, go out to check on your pregnant doe only to find she has already given birth. However, it’s always a good idea to be there during the event,...
Instead of serving turkey during holidays, at our house we serve roasted whole chicken. The size better suits our small family, and we still have plenty of leftovers for next-day sandwiches. What type of chicken? I have roasted both American...
Chickens hear better than humans. But how do they hear without “ears”? And what do they hear? In short, how and why do chickens have such good hearing? How Chickens Hear A chicken has ears on both sides of its...
As vulnerable prey animals, chickens have developed numerous defense strategies for evading predators. Depending on the proximity of a predator, the chicken’s defense strategies may be categorized as either primary or secondary. Primary Defense Strategies Primary defenses are always ready...
Chickens, like many other birds, have two kinds of bone. One contains pockets to enhance air circulation. The other stores calcium for egg production. Here’s a closer look at the two kinds of bone making up a chicken’s skeletal system...
A neighbor once gave me a couple of huge cabbages from her garden. When I told her I wasn’t sure what to do with all that cabbage, she gave me her recipe for freezer coleslaw. I’m pretty fussy when it...
A while back I was researching topics related to home canning. At some point I found myself on a forum frequented by European home canning enthusiasts. According to one of them, the obsession of American home canners with botulism must...
A chicken’s food call is readily recognizable. The chicken usually makes this high-pitched, rapidly repeated sound while pecking at the ground. For instance, a mother hen makes the sound when she finds some tasty tidbit for her chicks. What does...
